Szent István tér: This is the site of the famous St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's largest church, seating some 8,500 people. Built between 1851 and 1905. In the Szent Jobb Kápolna, behind the main altar, you can see an extraordinary and gruesome holy relic: Stephen's preserved right hand, which is paraded around town annually on St. Stephen's Day, August 20.
View of the front facade of the National Museum
Holocaust Memorial. Designed by Imre Varga, a wonderful contemporary Hungarian sculptor, the memorial is in the form of a weeping willow tree. Thin metal leaves, purchased by survivors and by descendants to honor relatives who were victims, are slowly filling the many branches.
Freedom Square (Szabadság tér). Directly in front of you is the Soviet Army Memorial, built in 1945 to honor the Soviet-led liberation of Budapest and topped by the last Soviet Star remaining in post-Communist Budapest.
/>The House of Parliament. Just a detail. a flock of geese can be seen over the tower.
Dohány Synagogue. This striking Byzantine building, Europe's largest synagogue and the world's second-largest, was built in 1859 and is still used by Budapest's Neolog (Conservative) Jewish community. The synagogue is newly cleaned and restored.
Former Post Office Savings Bank (Posta Takarékpénztár)
Hey, long time no update... Just back from Budapest. Long weekend, full of fun and adventure, and I can tell you about most of it! I arrived Thursday night, made my way to town the native way, shunning taxis and the like - it's so simple: you take the airport bus, reach the the metro's blue line, hop on the train and within few minutes you are at the very centre of the city. The whole thing costs less than £2 and puts some 10 minutes (if that) on top of a taxi or minibus service (which costs around 8 times that much - still not very expensive I guess).
More, and very few pics, soon.
טוב, אחרי סופשבוע ארוך בבודפסט אני שוב בלונדון. כמה מלים, אבל אעדכן יותר בקרוב - כרגע אני "עסוק". היה ענק - קר, ועד וכולל שבת היה אפור, רטוב ואפילו כמה פתיתי שלג, אבל יום ראשון ושני נתנו לנו קצת שמש. לצערי רוב התמונות - ואין הרבה, צולמו בימי ששי ושבת. אז זהו בינתיים, המשך יבוא
